A modest manifest of missives to keep readers up to date on works in progress, coming soon releases and where to get my books as well as some free stories when I get time to post them.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Excerpt for Eden's Reprise

Story Summary

Shaz Danzig’s life and career are about to change forever.Being a security officer at Eden’s Reprise, a nudist resort for the rich and famous, is not all beer and skittles. Protecting the delicate sensibilities of the guests, finding lost jewelry and performing full-body cavity searches are duties that Shaz takes in her long and confident stride.But when the seriously hunky Special Agent Dex Laing from the national security agency storms into her life on a mission to apprehend a preternatural assassin her whole world is turned upside down.Dex wants to run his own show and keep Shaz out of the action! That’s something she won’t accept despite her barely controlled lust, and things become hot and breathless as Dex and Shaz sort out who’s the boss.Duty calls –- there’s a dangerous killer mingling with the guests and Shaz and Dex have to act to stop a tragedy -- if only they could keep their hands off each other!

Excerpt

A werewolf lies dead at my feet.I’m standing naked on the shores of Lotus Lake, sobbing, my Glock nine-millimeter still hot from the killing shot.I have just killed my soul mate.

* * *

If you’re wondering how I got myself into this sorry state, well, join the club.The day started out like any other at Eden’s Reprise, the select naturalist resort for the rich and famous. Hidden in the secluded hill country, straddling the borders of New South Wales and Queensland, Eden’s Reprise is a Mecca for those wanting to drop out of the limelight for a bit of naked frolicking in the beautiful Aussie outdoors.Every morning I’d shake my head at myself in the mirror. When I’d put on my uniform, such as it was, I’d wonder how the hell a nice girl like me ended up here.Like our guests, resort staff perform their duties naked. It would be too uncomfortable for the paying elite, bare as they were, to be served by fully clothed waiters and pool attendants. It just wouldn’t sit well.So we wear bright blue baseball caps with ER patches emblazoned in red and a photo ID card hanging around our necks to differentiate us from the affluent guests.Being a security officer, I also wear a utility belt on which I carry, together with phone, and handcuffs, my best friend -- my Glock nine-millimeter.To say I’m big is an understatement. Maybe statuesque or voluptuous would suit. I’ve been described as big boned, but never by the same person twice. Let’s leave it at that.I’m tall with a long auburn ponytail pushed through the back of my cap.My eyes are turquoise with saffron flecks and my skin is golden, the result of wandering around in the sun naked all day.One more thing. I have tiny feet. I don’t know why I always include that in my self-inventory. I guess I’ve always been sensitive about them. Maybe because they’re out of proportion with the rest of me, which is in perfect proportion, except for my feet, which are, as I said, petite.I guess I mention them because it was a nasty comment on my first day at school that set me on the path that ended in today’s disaster. A snooty-nosed bitch poked fun at my dainty feet and I clocked her.I gained a reputation for being tough. It suited me fine, but I had to learn to fight to keep the image alive. So it was no surprise that I ended up in security, though it’s ironic that my feet kept me out of the army, the police and, oddly, ASIO, the national spy agency.I’m a crack shot and an expert in martial arts.People, men in particular, don’t usually mess with me. I guess they feel threatened by my size, my obvious physical power and my no-nonsense attitude.Which means my sex life is a big fat zero. It has been for years, but that’s another story with no bearing on what happened this particular day.None at all…